Wednesday, March 9, 2011

A Second Glance at the Mayan Calendar

In my last post, An Astrological Glance at the Mayan Calendar, I looked at the event chart for the end date of December 21, 2012 that coincides with the Winter Solstice which strikingly occurs at 11:11 am UT. Although many Mayan researchers have agreed that the Mayan Long Count Calendar ends on this date, Carl Johan Calleman presents a different date to consider: October 28, 2011. The debate between the two end dates comes from two very different perspectives on what the Mayan calendar tracks. Is it tracking the Great Year, astronomical cycles, and its related shifts in consciousness through the Long Count Calendar as proposed by John Major Jenkins; or is it tracking something beyond astronomical cycles through the subtly interconnected calendars of the Long Count, the Tzolkin, and 9 Underworlds and 13 Heavens -- the 16 billion year evolution of consciousness as suggested by Calleman? In his article Why the Creation Cycles Do Not End Calleman explains:

That the end date of the Long Count falls on December 21, 2012 is thus just a necessary logical consequence of the beginning date chosen by the Izapans and not something that the Maya had intentionally targeted. The creation cycles described by the Maya, including the Tzolkin, are fundamentally of a spiritual, non-astronomical, nature. Thus, any theory that implies that the Mayan Long Count would have been designed to reflect astronomical phenomena, be it the precession of the earth or a solar zenith, is a warning signal that its originator is off the mark. It should be obvious that if the Mayan calendar is a prophetic calendar describing cosmic energy cycles of a universal nature then the particular date at which the sun was in zenith in the particular location of Izapa is totally irrelevant for us who live today and must be considered as nothing but a result of a tradition too strong to be changed.

Another equally compelling reason why December 21, 2012 cannot be the true date of completion of creation is that this day is 4 Ahau in the Tzolkin count. Since the Long Count consists of exactly 7200 Tzolkin rounds then the true end of creation must fall on a day that is 13 Ahau in the Tzolkin count so that the Tzolkin rounds even out. If we want to find out what is the real date of ending of the creation cycles we must therefore look for a day around the year 2012, which is 13 Ahau in the Tzolkin count. The inscriptions in Palenque, written about a thousand years after the Long Count was devised in Izapa, seem to indicate that the date of relevance is October 28, 2011, which in fact is 13 Ahau in the Tzolkin count.

Thus Calleman believes that the creation cycles described by the Maya, including the Tzolkin, are fundamentally spiritual, and not astronomical. He points out that by focusing on an end date, some Mayan scholars are missing the mark and not understanding the spirit in which the calendars were created and intended. According to Calleman, the October 28, 2011 date is based on archaeological evidence that the Nine Underworlds and Thirteen Heavens do indeed describe and measure evolution -- the evolution of Cosmic consciousness. Moreover, while there is extensive evidence that the Maya based prophecy and prediction on shifts between baktuns, katuns, tuns, not a single ancient Mayan text mentions the 26,000 year precessional cycle. The only known ancient inscription that mentions the calendar's end is depicted on Monument 6 from Tortuguero (pictured below) whose glyphs are translated as “witness the display of Bolon Yokte Ku in his full costume and regalia.”

Calleman suggests that Bolon Yokte Ku is the Nine-Support, or Nine-Step, entity of “period endings.” He associates the Bolon Yokte Ku with the 9 Step Cosmic Pyramid that is pervasive throughout Mayan architecture. He writes: Through extensive factual verification this pyramid has been shown to symbolize the nine levels of evolution the universe undergoes on its climb to its highest state of consciousness. After years of research Calleman theorizes that the ancient Maya perceived the Cosmos as being composed of Nine Underworlds which were symbolically expressed in the architecture of many Mayan pyramids: the Pyramid of the Plumed Serpent in Chichen-Itza, the Pyramid of the Jaguar in Tikal and the Temple of the Inscriptions in Palenque, all of which were all built with Nine different stories.

Each of these stories represents a harmonic cycle of time with individual layers expressing an increased frequency that moves twenty times faster than the previous cycle. Within each layer there are 13 sub-cycles called tuns depicting a sequence of Thirteen Heavens, each alternating as "day" or "night" in frequency. For example, the longest of the tun-based time cycles was the hablatun of 460,800,000,000 days = 1.26 billion years. Thirteen such hablatuns makes up a creation cycle of a total duration of 13 x 1.26 = 16.4 billion years that created the lowest, the first Underworld. Strangely this time period of 16.4 billion years is very close to what scientists project the age of the universe: 15 billion years the time when matter first emerged from light (Big Bang).

Each level of evolution the cosmic pyramid, called Bolon Yokte Ku, is then developed through a series of thirteen time periods. These range from the hablatun (1.26 billion years) on the bottom level to the uaxaclahunkin of 18 days at the ninth level. This means a twenty times frequency increase and speed-up of time with every single step to a higher level.

The correlation of these levels with evolution is fascinating. The lower levels are still completing harmonic adjustments, as the upper levels are developed. The upper levels may not manifest until certain prerequisite energy and consciousness is established below. For example, the 6th level cycle began in 3115 BC which also marks the beginning of civilization and the development of nation states in the Nation cycle. During this time period the Long Count was established in Izapa, Mexico under the influence of a nationalistic impulse in Meso-America. The 7th level cycle began in 1755 AD which marks the beginning of consciousness looking out at the heavens under the impulse of the Planetary cycle influencing the Age of Enlightenment. And most recently the 8th level, or Galactic, began on January 4, 1999 which brought our attention further out to the Galaxy and brought new understanding about precession cycles and consciousness, not to mention increased technology at a record pace.

Today (March 9, 2011) marks the beginning of 9th and final level that introduces the Universal Underworld. We may infer from previous cycles that time will speed up twenty-fold as we come under the influence of a Universal impulse that awakens us to our place in the Universe. Then on October 28, 2011 the energies of all nine waves will manifest fully and simultaneously. Calleman believes that the so-called end date is actually the final manifestation of what the ancient inscription refer to as Bolon Yokte Ku appearing in his full regalia -- the full expression of Universal consciousness. He describes the purpose of this last wave is to cap the entire evolution of the universe that so far has been propelled by the eighth lower waves. . . The ninth wave of unity would then be calling for a complete shift in our way of being, to manifesting unity consciousness, which is the intended end result of the cosmic plan. If this is to happen, it may also call for extraordinary cosmic energies to fulfill the cosmic plan. In fact, maybe the ninth wave will be a Judgment Day that will save the world.

Wow! This change certainly sounds exciting. So even though the Mayan calendar may not be tracking an astrological or astronomical phenomenon, the energy shifts associated with these evolutionary waves might still be seen in the snapshot of an astrological event chart. An Event or Horary chart, called Prashna in Vedic Astrology, is used to shed light and meaning on certain moments in time by studying the rising sign and the ruler of the ascendant. Each is assessed to gain insight into influences surrounding the event and as well as to give an outlook for possible developments stemming from that event. Both Eastern and Western astrologers use a horary chart that is created for the date, time and place of a particular event. The difficulty about creating an event chart for Calleman's dates is that we do not have a specific time or astronomical alignment like a solstice to consider. Instead we may do a chart for sunrise or "day" (new beginnings) and sunset or "night" (endings) set in a sacred location for the Maya, Palenque. As each of the Thirteen Heavens ends in a "day" tun, the sunrise chart may take precedent over the sunset chart, which may show the outcome of the ending impulse.

In the day chart, there is an intriguing synchronicity of nakshatras with the 2012 chart: a Libra Sun is rising on the eastern horizon in the nakshatra Swati. The 2012 chart was also strongly under the influence of Swati as its chart ruler Saturn was placed there. As I mention in my discussion of the 2012 chart, Swati gives the power to "scatter like the wind," pradhvamsa shakti. The deity that rules Swati is Vayu, the god of wind, air, breath and prana -- the primordial energy of the universe that sustains life. This ascendant suggests the universe may exhale and blow the cosmic breath of life scattering seeds of consciousness to the wind.

Venus rules the sign of Libra and is also rising after the Sun and Mercury in the auspicious evening star position. As I mentioned in my previous post, the Dresden Codex is one of the few surviving books from the ancient Maya that is is filled with observations and equations denoting the movement of the planets, Sun, and stars. In particular it tracks the cycles of Venus with tremendous accuracy, and is the basis for the start date of the Long Count Calendar appropriately named the Birth of Venus. The Long Count completes at 13 Ahau, the end of the 13th baktun which is measured from the Birth of Venus. The basis of Calleman's argument for the October 28, 2011 date over the 2012 date is that the later date is out of sync ending at 4 Ahau, and his date does end on 13 Ahau. Ahau means "sun," "light," or "lord" and it seems fitting that astrologically the Sun is rising with Venus on Calleman's end date.

I find this glyph to be intriguing as it seems to represent the Sun emitting or being caught by a beam of light surrounded on either side with two dots, perhaps indicating planets. Could these planets represent Venus and Mercury which are one degree apart that day? Or could they represent two phases of Venus, morning star and evening star, that figure so prominently in Mayan lore. Ahau also is a day to ask for wisdom and to remember the ancestors. It is an intriguing theme connected to the alignment of all evolutionary, or ancestral, layers in a moment of completion.

In other Native American tradition, the evening star is seen as a marker for the end times. According to Greyeagle:

It was told to me that first the "Evening Star" would start to be seen at the dances and would make its appearance known to the people during the "night dance". This would tell the people that the end times are near. Then the "Evening Star" would physically appear in the Sky, which would be a sign of the end time change. In the Final days people will look up in the sky and witness the return of the two brothers who helped create Earth Mother in the birthing time. One brother is the guardian of our "North Pole" and his brother is the guardian of the "South pole". In the final days the "Evening Star" would come to be with his nephews and they will return Earth Mother to its natural rotation. . . The rotation of Earth Mother has been manipulated by not so benevolent "Star Beings" .... The brothers will be seen in our "North Western skies". They will come and visit to see who has still remembered the original teachings. They will bring many of their star family with them in the final days. The return of the "Evening Star", will be the sign that tells the people of the new day and new way of life, a new Earth Mother that is coming. This is where the changes will begin. They will start as fires that burn within people and they will burn up with desires and conflict if they do not remember the original teachings and return to the peaceful way of life.

Venus is the most prominent planet in the 2011 sunrise chart as it rules sign of the rising Sun, but it is placed in a different nakshatra, Vishakha. As we saw in my previous post, Vishakha is associated the celestial Tree of Life and represents the process of reaching and attaining one's goals.

It is also strongly connected to the triumphal arch that may indicate the opening of an energetic door or star gate.

In addition to being in this profoundly symbolic nakshatra, Venus will be in a critical anaretic degree at sunrise and will transition into the sign of Scorpio by the end of the day. In Vedic astrology this juncture between signs it is called sande. The 29th degree of any sign may bring fateful consequences as the planet is getting ready to make an elemental change. The energy of that sign may be all used up. This oscillating energy can bring hesitancy in decision making. Combined with a debilitated Sun in Libra, the morning hours may be a little confusing.

As the day winds down, Venus leaves the 29th degree and enters the sign of Scorpio, ruled by Mars. At the same time during sunset, the other sign ruled by Mars, Aries will be rising on the eastern horizon with Jupiter. This Aries ascendant is ruled by that debilitated Mars in Cancer from the fourth house of home and environment. Like Venus earlier in the day, Mars is in an anarectic degree, but this time this critical degree is in a water sign making it gandanta. When planets are placed in a gandanta positions, they take on a special power to unravel the knot of karma and move on to the next level. If a planets falls in the last three degrees of water sign, it is completing an old cycle; if it falls in the first three degree of a fire sign is beginning a new cycle. Thus in this case, the planet Mars, which rules energy, ambition, and drive, is at its weakest position in the water sign of Cancer. Here Mars is worn out by the emotional medium of a water sign. It can only heal and release the karma of the old cycle by releasing its tendency to fight and opening it its higher nature and surrender to healing.

By sunset Venus will join the Moon in Scorpio, its signs of debilitation that is canceled by its mutual exchange with the debilitated Mars that also gets canceled. This parivartana yoga strengthens both Mars and the Moon. The Moon softens the anger and sharp edges of Mars, while Mars gives courage, drive, and great devotion to the Moon, especially in the 17th nakshatra of Anuradha. Thus the Moon and Mars are able to reach beyond their individual weaknesses and unite as something greater.

The mutual exchange, or parivartana yoga between the Moon and Mars connects the 6th and 4th houses. Each house represents one of the four aims (dhama, artha, kama, moksha) in human life, and the fourth house is considered a moksha bhava. Moksha means "liberation or freedom" and relates to our need for spiritual growth and transcendence. The sixth house is an artha bhava. Although many associate artha with wealth, it actually means achievement of goals. Thus this mutual exchange between moksha and artha houses indicates that there may indeed be a moment of surrender to the coming night that brings success to higher goals.

In addition, the great benefic Jupiter will be rising on the eastern horizon in the sign of Aries under the influence of the nakshatra Ashwini. Jupiter gains directional strength in this placement and gives protection and understanding to those forces greater than ourselves. Jupiter in fiery Aries gives expansion to our spirit and is an auspicious force for the promised awakening.

As the first of 27 nakshtras, Ashwini initiates the development of the shakti impulses for the soul to experiences in its journey through each asterism. In particular Ashwini activates primordial forces and facilitates the awakening of consciousness. This nakshatra is aptly called the "star of transport" as it is associated with the twin horsemen. The deities associated with Ashwini are twin divine doctors who ride in a golden chariot and bring healing to the earthly plane through shidhra vyapani shakti, the power to heal and reach things. Could these twins be transporting humanity to higher consciousness, or to another dimension through a portal or star gate?

In ancient Mayan and Aztec cosmologies there is also myth that associates two twin brothers with fire and shifts in World cycles. Quetzalcoatl (called Kukulcan in Mayan languages) and Xolotl are associated with the morning and evening stars, respectively. The morning star Quetzalcoatl is the inventor of the calendar and bestowed mankind with the gift of maize/corn (the calendar and corn cycles are related as the time it takes to plant and harvest corn is 260 days, the length of the sacred Tzolkin calendar). The evening star Xolotl was also associated with fire as he assisted his brother Quetzacoatl in bringing fire from the underworld to humans. The ancient Aztecs believed that Xolotl guarded the Sun when it went through the underworld at night. Thus the morningstar Quetzacoatl gave the calendar and fire to humans at the beginning of the beginning of the Fifth World age which appears to come to a completion on Octobe 28, 2011 with the evening star Xolotl escorting the Sun to the underworld. Isn't it a fascinating astronomical coincidence that the Evening star is so prominent in both the sunrise and sunset charts of October 28, 2011. No wonder the Mayans tracked Venus cycles so closely.

At the end of the day Venus remains in the nakshatra of Vishakha, symbolized by the triumphal arch, but enters its Scorpio degrees. It approaches the waning Moon in the seventeenth nakshatra of Anuradha whose secondary symbol is also an archway. Anuradha's primary symbol is the lotus flower.

Just as the roots of a lotus are buried in the mud, they must grow and push the stem up through the water in the sunlight and release the delicately scented flower. This pattern of growth signifies the progress of the soul from the primeval mud of materialism, through the waters of experience, and into the bright sunshine of enlightenment. Thus Anuradha promises to bring the flowering of consciousness out of the challenges of the murky material world. Sounds like the perfect nakshatra for ascension!

The stars of Anuradha are located in the body of the Scorpion. It contains the our closest stellar neighbor,Alpha Centauri, and as such is the focus of a lot of recent astronomical research for an earth-like planet. As the nearest star to earth, Alpha Centauri has captured the imagination of many science fiction stories and movies, including James Cameron's Avatar. The asterism of Anuradha is comprised of a group of stars that resembles a staff or row of offerings to the Gods. The symbolism of the staff dates all the way back to ancient times in which a staff was used by shepherds to guide their flock. It is a symbol of authority and in some cultures of travel. A row of offerings speaks to this nakshatra's ability to inspire deep devotion and worship, radhana shakti. Anuradha is called the "star of success" and grants success especially in foreign lands. This "star of success" has the ability to create and maintain friendships, and recognition can be attained through cooperation with others. Again there is this theme of unity -- that success depends on coming together.

The residing deity of Anuradha is Mitra, the god of contracts, friendship, and cooperation. He is one of the Adityas or 12 Solar deities and is thematically related to Mithra, Christ, the future Buddha, and the Maitreya. In the Vedic hymns, Mitra is often invoked together with Varuna, the lord of the cosmic rhythm of the celestial spheres who figures prominently in the 2012 chart. Mitra brings forth the light at dawn, and apparently may bring us to the dawn of a new World Age.

ConclusionsSo now we have come full circle after studying the two end-dates for the Mayan Calendar. The predominant theme of passing through a triumphant gateway is clearly indicated in both. No matter which date is correct, we are clearing approaching, if not already in the middle of a profound shift in universal consciousness. How this will play out over the next 18 months may be debated until the actual moment of its completion, but what ever happens is sure to be under the protection of some powerful archetypal guides. Whether it be Varuna, Mitra, Quetzacoatl, or the Ashwins, the stars indicate that we will be protected by the light of these higher vibrations as we, like the lotus, reach up from the murky materialistic earth, through the waters of emotion, to the light of consciousness and become One with the great Celestial Tree of Life.

About Me

I began this blog a few years ago to post my thoughts and interpretations of astrological and astronomical events. My perspective is based on the alchemical principle of 'as above, so below.' As an acupuncturist I am trained to look at patterns to uncover how the macrocosm is reflected in the microcosm. As a Vedic astrologer I have come to realize that the planets and stars are living beings that transmit information to those who know how to listen. The ancient seers and mystics could hear their messages and developed practices like yoga, meditation, and Astrology (in Sanskrit Jyotisha means the 'science of light') to help us find union with the cosmos. The language of the stars is one of light and sound that steps down to human consciousness in the form of symbols and archetypes. The intention of this blog to to simply share what the stars have to say.

Followers

Sister Sites

I have two sisters sites. Starsyncs (click here) demonstrates how some of the astrological aspects that I discuss in starworlds show up in the news and media. Taoworlds (click here) examines the path of healing, both for patient and practitioner, from an alchemical perspective which is the root of Chinese medicine.

Om Gaṃ Ganapataye Namah

Lord Ganesha represents the power of the Supreme Being that removes obstacles and ensures success in human endeavors. For this reason, Hindus worship Ganesha first before beginning any religious, spiritual or worldly activity. Lord Ganesha is also the protector of travellers, healers, and astrologers.

Om Namah Shivaya

Lord Shiva represents the aspect of the Supreme Being that continuously dissolves to recreate in the cyclic process of creation, preservation, dissolution and recreation of the universe.

Saraswati is the Goddess of leaming, knowledge, and wisdom. The Sanskrit word sara means "essence" and swa means "self." Thus Saraswati means "the essence of the self." Saraswati is represented in Hindu mythology as the divine consort of Lord Brahma, the Creator of the universe. Since knowledge is necessary for creation, Saraswati symbolizes the creative power of Brahma. Goddess Saraswati is worshipped by all persons interested in knowledge, especially students, teachers, scholars, and scientists.

What is the Difference between Vedic and Western Astrology: 23 Degrees, Nakshatras, and Sidereal

Twenty-three is my quick answer to the question: "what is the difference between Vedic Astrology and Western astrology?" I don't mean to be cryptic, but 23 degrees is literally the difference between the Tropical and Sidereal zodiacs. It is called the Ayanamsha -- in Sanskrit ayana meaning solstice and amsha meaning portion -- and it refers to the difference between Tropical and Sidereal zodiacs.

The zodiac is a ring of constellations often referred to as signs, such as Aquarius, Leo, Scorpio and Taurus. It is a cosmic clock around which our solar systems operates and how astrologers measure cycles of time. Most people do not realize that there are two distinct zodiacs. Vedic astrologers use the Sidereal zodiac and Western astrologers use the Tropical zodiac. The Sidereal zodiac is based on observations of planets lining up against the backdrop of the fixed stars. It is oriented to the center of the galaxy. On the other hand, the Tropical zodiac is based on the relationship between the sun and earth. It is oriented to the equinoxes. In Western astrology the spring equinox sets the beginning of the Tropical zodiac at 1 degree Aries, even though the sun is astronomically traveling in the light fields of Pisces. In other words, it does not correspond to observable position. Vedic astrology is called Jyotisha in Sanskrit, meaning the science of light, and Vedic astrology describes how the light emitted from the stars effects us. When Western astrology was in its early stages, the two zodiacs may have lined up; but over time the two moved apart approximately 50 seconds per year to the current 23 degrees of separation (even that number is debated, but the standard of India, the Lahiri ayanamsha is 23 degrees 10 seconds).

Vedic astrology is considered by scholars to pre-date Western astrology and is the only system that has accounted for the precession of the equinoxes. What is the precession of the equinoxes? The answer to that involves another occurrence of the number 23 (those familiar with the enigma of 23, like LOST and RAW fans, may find this amusing). Because Earth's axis is tilted 23° 27' in its orbit around the sun, its equatorial plane is tilted with respect to the ecliptic plane, the plane created by Earth's orbit. These two intersecting planes create an intersecting line called the vernal axis that occurs on the first day of spring, or Vernal equinox. As the Earth spins on its axis, its axis wobbles (precesses 50.3 seconds of arc per year or 1 degree every 71.6 years) very slowly over a period of about 24,000 to 26,000 years. As this occurs, the pole of the Earth inscribes an arc in the heavens called the precessional arc. The Earth's pole aligns with different stars throughout the precessional period. The current pole star is Polaris. Approximately 13,000 year ago it was Vega, one of my favorite stars. Earth's precessional cycle is also referred to as Earth's Great Year in the alchemical tradition, World Ages, or Yugas in the Vedas. David Frawley describes it a one year in the life of humanity.

In Vedic astrology there is a line of thought that suggests this 24,000-26,000 cycle (and even wobble of the earth itself) maybe be generated by a grand cycle of our sun with a companion dark star. Modern astronomy is studying this possibility as well. The ancient Vedic seers divided up the cycle into four world ages: the Satya(Truth or Golden), Treta (Third or Silver), Dwapara (Third or Bronze) and Kali (first or Iron) Ages. Each age describes a stage of awareness for mankind in which consciousness ascends, descends, and ascends in unending cycles perhaps due to the influence of this yet to be discovered companion star. Although New Age philosophers have described humanity as entering the Age of Aquarius, astronomically speaking that will not happen for approximately 300-400 years.

According to Vedic thought, the cycles of ascending and descending consciousness are connected not only to our rotation around a companion star, but also our cycle around the galactic center. According to David Frawley, "Vedic astrology orients the zodiac to the galactic center, or the central galactic sun, whose influence comes to us through fixed stars of the constellation Sagittarius." The galactic center is like our cosmic belly button -- it is sometimes called Vishnunabhi, or the navel of Vishnu-- the point from which our galaxy grew and expanded. Many ancient cultures studied and recorded their observations about this area of the night sky, including the Mayans whose calendar marks an astronomical event of our winter solstice aligning with the galactic center in 2012. It's like the earth's pole or antenna will be aligned and open to receive message from the source itself. [H]ohm is calling.

One of the most brilliant developments of the ancient Vedic seers was to further divide the zodiac into more identifiable parts. They did this by creating the Nakshatra system. In Sanskrit Nakshatra means lunar mansion. As the moon travels through the entire zodiac in 27-28 days, the ancient seers ascribed a Nakshatra for each day simplifying its location. Although too vast a subject to go into in this post, it is interesting to point out that the name for the Nakstratra that marks the galactic center is Mula, meaning root or source.

Another difference between Western and Vedic astrology is the modern use of non-observable planets and asteroids. As a Neo-Vedic astrologer I do consider some of the outer planets when I look at a chart, but I tend to be more interested in the fixed stars and Nakshatras. I marvel at how Western astrologers bring in new astronomical discoveries to their chart interpretations. Basically I see Western charts as a map of the same terrain as a Vedic chart, but indicating different types or levels of information. It's like comparing a topological map with a road map. I don't need to know the difference of elevation between Broadway and 3rd Avenue, but I might like to know the street number of Benaroya Hall. It all depends on what type of information one is seeking. Vedic astrologers come from a tradition and philosophy that focuses on the four aims of life: dharma (purpose), arthra (attainment), kama (desire),and the most important moksha (liberation). Western astrology is enriched by many diverse traditions and the information gleaned from it may be quite extensive and more suited for the modern mind. But for me, I've always been drawn to the stars in the night sky and have felt them speak to me in the language of light. And as Jyotisha is the science of light, it is the tool and filter I use to translate this information.